Minister: Tourism is now an all-year industry

TOURISM is now an all-year industry for the TRNC, with the same number of visitors in both summer and winter, said Tourism and Environment Minister Fikri Ataoğlu — although he gave no figures to substantiate the claim.

Mr Ataoğlu also said that in previous years, tourists usually stayed in their hotels to use beach, pool or other facilities rather than venturing out.

“But that has changed,” he said. “They are now picked up from hotels and taken on sightseeing tours. We are also sending tourists to Lefke and Güzelyurt because they do not get enough of a share of tourism. We are working to increase tourist satisfaction by, for example, taking groups to those areas when oranges or strawberries are being picked.

“We also receive a list of tourists before they enter the country and our Forestry Department prepares name tags on tree saplings for them to plant when we take them to specific areas. We then keep them informed about the growth and development of the tree in subsequent years.

“The change in tourism after 43 years is the result of coordination between the industry, civic organisations and government. This is the third year of winter tourism — before that our hotels were empty during the winter. Now, tourists are visiting our country 12 months a year and staying at different locations here.”

Mr Ataoğlu said problems had been created for North Cyprus tourism by the Greek Cypriots, especially relating to visitors from Israel who have experienced difficulty in entering the TRNC through the South.

“We are, however, in contact with Turkish Airlines to find a solution to the issue and are also looking at bringing in more tourists on charter flights or by sea,” he said.

Speaking of work under way at the ministry to boost tourism still further through an increase in sea traffic between Girne and Antalya — “which could be an alternative if flight tickets are too expensive” — he said” “We are adopting this alternative form of transport after failing to reach a solution to the problem of expensive flights. We are, however, aiming to increase the number of incoming charter flights from different countries, which currently amount to at least four each day.”

He added that two hotels in the Bafra area were “ready to open”, and the Kaya Group hotel in Girne would open in April, as part of an imminent rise in hotel bed capacity to about 27,000.